


Pain Pills

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Canon, No Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-07-28
Updated: 2003-07-28
Packaged: 2018-12-27 04:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12073833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Picks up whereFaulty Runleft off.





	Pain Pills

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

The phone woke Justin up long before he was ready to be awake. Rolling away from Brian’s slumbering form, Justin grabbed the cordless phone from the nightstand beside him. 

“‘Lo,” Justin mumbled as he rubbed at his eyes with the back of his free hand. 

“You were supposed to call last night after you got back from the hospital!” 

Groaning audibly, Justin flopped his head face first into the pillow. “We got back late last night and Brian was kinda loopy on pain pills. Phone calls were the least of my concerns, Mikey. And since it’s way too early to be up, how about we hang up so that I can go back to sleep like all normal people are doing at six in the morning.” 

“So how’s Brian?” Michael asked, completely oblivious to the hint he had been given. 

“Some bumps and bruises, a few cracked ribs and a broken finger,” Justin mumbled, barely able to cover a yawn. “Can I go back to sleep now?” 

“Let me talk to Brian.” 

Justin growled threateningly, tempted to simply hang up on Michael. However, he knew that Michael would only call back. “He’s sleeping, Michael and will probably be sleeping for most of the morning. And since I plan on joining him, I’m gonna hang up now.” 

“Justin, wait!” 

“Bye, Mikey.” 

Without anything further, Justin cut the connection and promptly shut the phone off entirely. Except for the call he planned on making around nine to Brian’s office, he didn’t want to be interrupted all day. After what had happened, he knew that Brian needed a day of quiet. Justin didn’t doubt that Michael would show up at some point during the day, but hopefully Brian would be asleep at the time so that he could rest in peace. 

Hearing a quiet whimpering noise from Brian, Justin dropped the phone beside the bed and slid back towards the slumbering man. He pressed his body up against Brian’s, lightly resting his hand on Brian’s hip just below the brace that he wore. Brian turned his head towards Justin’s, his lips brushing against the blonde’s forehead and then was silent. 

For the next few hours, Justin dozed on and off, never slipping back into a deep sleep. Each time that Brian moved or made a sound, Justin found himself tensing instantly, waiting for something to happen. Brian never woke up, but would fuss and reach out for Justin whenever the teen would move away. Wanting Brian to sleep as long as possible, Justin made a point to stick close to him. 

When nine o’clock came and Justin made to get the phone, he did so as quickly as possible and rolled back towards Brian as he turned it on. 

“Brian Kinney’s office, Cynthia speaking,” the secretary said as she picked up the phone on the other end. 

“Hey, Cynthia, it’s Justin. I’m just letting you know that Brian won’t be coming in today,” Justin said in a hushed voice. 

“Why are you whispering? Is Brian hung over or something?” she asked, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice. 

Justin glanced over at Brian and grinned. “No, but when he wakes up he’s going to wish he was. He got jumped last night and has some cracked ribs so he’s in a nice drug-induced sleep right now. He doesn’t have anything really important today, does he?” 

There was some shuffling on the other end then, “No. Nothing that can’t be put off until Monday. Tell Brian that I’ll make up some excuse for him if Ryder comes looking for him.” 

“Thanks, Cynthia.” 

When he was finished with the call, the phone once again found itself on the ground next to the bed. Justin had full intentions of going back to sleep and not waking up until next week, but his plans were called to a halt when he turned over and came face to face with a conscious Brian. 

“You’re awake,” Justin said even though it was more than obvious to both of them. 

At least he thought it was until he saw the confused look on Brian’s face. 

“Are you awake?” Justin tried, raising himself up on one elbow. 

Brian was quiet for a moment, his eyes trained on the ceiling. “I don’t think so.” 

“Then why are your eyes open?” 

“They are?” 

Smiling softly, Justin reached over and gently brushed Brian’s eyelids closed with the pads of his thumb and index finger. It didn’t take long for him to coax Brian’s eyelids into shutting and soon the other man was asleep once again. As soon as he was sure Brian was asleep, Justin stretched out next to him, ready to sleep himself. 

The only problem was that sleep was once again hard in coming. No matter how often he shut his eyes and willed himself to sleep, it was usually only moments later that he opened his eyes. After an hour of this, Justin gave up and crawled out of bed. He pulled on a pair of grey sweat pants that rode low on his hips and headed into the kitchen. As much as he wanted to stay close to Brian in case he needed him, his stomach was much more demanding in its need for food. 

Too tired to put much effort behind the meal, Just grabbed a bag of Oreo cookies that Brian kept in the loft for him and a tall glass of milk. It wasn’t the healthiest meal, but it would fill him up. 

Justin sat so that he was facing the bedroom and could keep an eye on Brian the whole time. Some time around his fifth Oreo, Justin noticed Brian stirring once again. He stayed where he was, curious as to Brian’s state of mind, and was surprised to see the other man sit up and turn his head in Justin’s direction. 

“Why are you over there?” Brian asked, staring intently at the younger man through half lidded eyes. 

Picking up a new Oreo, Justin held it up for Brian to see. “Because I’m eating Oreos.” 

“Come back here,” Brian pleaded, giving Justin what he swore was a pout. 

Finishing off the cookie in his hand, Justin cleaned everything up then made his way up to the bedroom where Brian was. Even by then, Brian was beginning to sway, his eyes nearly shut. 

“You should be sleeping,” Justin said as he carefully sat down next to him on the bed. 

Brian stared straight ahead for a moment then suddenly turned his head towards Justin as though coming to a decision. “I think the pills are wearing off.” He was silent for another minute then nodded his head. “Yeah, they’re wearing off.” 

Justin was hard pressed to keep from laughing at Brian’s sudden revelation. “Do you need some more pills?” 

“Yeah,” Brian agreed, grinning idiotically. 

After first ensuring that Brian would not topple over, Justin went back into the kitchen to get a glass of water and two of the little white pills. These pills were different than the ones Brian had been given the night before at the hospital so Justin wasn’t too sure how he would react to them. 

“You weren’t supposed to find out about him,” Brian mumbled forlornly as Justin entered the bedroom once again. 

“About who?” Justin asked softly. 

Lazily turning his head towards Justin, Brian frowned slightly. “Rick. He was supposed to be gone. Never should have met him.” 

Leaving that revelation for the time being, Justin slipped the pills into Brian’s hand and waited for him to pop them into his mouth. Once the pills were in, Justin handed Brian the glass of water, helping him to steady his hand as he guided it to his lips. Brian managed a few slips before he started to cough which caused him to moan as the coughing jolted his cracked ribs. 

Taking the glass from Brian’s trembling fingers, Justin set it down on the nightstand. He slowly ran his left hand up and down Brian’s throat, hoping to will the coughing away. After a few moments Brian calmed, leaning his head forward onto Justin’s shoulder. 

“He was a mistake,” Brian wheezed once he got his breathing under control. 

Justin said nothing, instead easing Brian back onto the pillows. As Brian wound his arms about his waist, Justin had no choice but to lie down next to him. “You had no control over what he did, Brian. He was just some insane guy who had a thing against you for some reason.” 

“I wouldn’t fuck him,” Brian announced, sounding coherent for the first time that morning. “Rick was pissed ‘cause I wouldn’t fuck him this summer when he wanted me to. He would have last night but I kicked him in the crotch before he could.” 

With that massive revelation, Brian promptly fell asleep once again. It caught Justin completely off guard and he was unable to process what he had just learned for several long minutes. For a longtime after Brian had fallen back asleep, Justin continued to lie next to him. He simply could not move his limbs. Could not make them respond in any way. 

It was a loud crash of thunder that finally brought Justin back to himself. Moving like a zombie, he rolled out of bed and headed into the living room. Now that he was moving, Justin found that he couldn’t remain still any longer. He paced back and forth across the open expanse of the loft, stopping every so often to glance out the windows at the storm that had enveloped the city. 

Snaking his fingers into his rumpled hair, Justin let out a loud breath and flopped down onto the couch. This whole situation had become a lot more complicated since Brian’s revelation. With three simple sentences Rick had gone from being one particularly fucked up individual to something entirely worse. He was now on the same level as Chris Hobbs, the only difference being that Chris had succeeded where Rick had failed if only by the narrowest of margins. Were it not for a well placed kick, Brian could have very well ended up in the same state the Justin had after awakening from his coma. 

Justin smiled ruefully, knowing that even if Rick had succeeded, he wouldn’t have been able to break Brian. He was too strong and wouldn’t have allowed the other man to have that power over him. 

Wanting to lose himself for a while, Justin turned on the TV and began flipping through the channels. He needed to think about anything other than what had happened the night before hoping that if he didn’t think about it then it wouldn’t be as bad as it seemed. Rationally, Justin knew that it would be a futile effort, but he couldn’t help but hope it would be true. 

Settling one some Italian cook show, Justin sprawled across the couch, one hand draped across his bare stomach, the other under his head. As he had hoped, memorizing the quickly prepared recipes let him no room to contemplate anything else. Once the Italian show was over, Justin watched the one that was next. This went on for several hours at least. After the second show, Justin had lost track of how many shows he had watched, interested only in the recipes. 

“I thought you said you were gonna feel like shit with me.” 

Justin was on his knees in a second, peering towards the bedroom where Brian hovered at the top of the steps. His relief turned into mirth when he got a good look at the older man. Brian was completely naked save for the black brace he wore over his ribs. A black brace that strongly resembled a black corset. 

“Somehow I don’t think laughing at me goes along with feeling like shit,” Brian grumbled, lightly scratching his hip. “So you gonna help me or just wait till I topple over from exhaustion?” 

Justin vaulted over the back of the couch and jogged the short distance that separated him from Brian. “I didn’t think you’d be up so soon. How do you feel?” 

“How do you think I feel?” Brian demanded, leaning gratefully against Justin as the teen wrapped his arm about his waist. “Now how about steering me over to the shower so that I can wash the alley smell off of me.” 

“I think that I’m gonna have to help you with that,” Justin informed him as they slowly made their way towards the bathroom. “You’ll probably just end up hurting yourself in the process.” 

“You just wanna shower with me,” Brian taunted, smirking down at Justin. 

Justin grinned back as he propped Brian up against the sink. “And the problem with that being?” 

“Never said there was one.” 

Justin turned on the water, checking to make sure the temperature was hot, but not hot enough to burn their skin. Only when he was satisfied with the temperature of the water did Justin remove his sweatpants. Naked, Justin turned to Brian who was leaning half dazed against the sink. 

“Come on, Brian, let’s get you out of your corset,” Justin said as he began unfastening the velcro straps that held the brace in place. 

That caught Brian’s attention and he attempted to glare at the younger man. “My what?” 

Justin’s response was cut off as he caught sight of the massive bruise that covered the left side of Brian’s abdomen. It was a harsh, dramatic purple so unlike his skin’s natural pale colour. He reached out, his hand hovering millimeters above Brian’s skin. 

“It’s not that bad,” Brian told him, grabbing hold of Justin’s hand and giving it a quick squeeze. “We both got out of it in one piece and we both stink like an alley and are in desperate need of a shower.” 

That got a slight smile from Justin who then led Brian towards the shower. As soon as they stepped beneath the spray of the water, Brian let out a contented groan and dropped his head down onto Justin’s shoulder. Being extremely careful, Justin began kneading one of Brian’s costly soaps into the older man’s skin. That got even more moans from Brian who was clutching at Justin’s hips to keep himself upright. 

“Don’t forget the hair,” Brian mumbled against the side of Justin’s throat. “I seem to recall falling in a puddle last night.” 

Gently cupping Brian’s cheeks, Justin slowly lifted the other man’s head, being mindful of the massive bruise that stained the left side of his face. Carefully, he tilted Brian’s head to the side, tenderly tracing the outer edge of the wound with his index finger. Justin watched in awe as the other man’s eyes slid shut and he tilted his head to the right, into Justin’s hand. Removing his hand from Brian’s injured cheek, Justin reached for a bottle of shampoo, deftly flipped the cap and poured a small amount over Brian’s head. 

Brian was once again moaning as Justin began massaging the shampoo into his scalp, his head dropping onto the teen’s shoulder. He pressed his body as close to Justin’s as possible, barely a hairsbreadth separating their bodies. It enhanced the intimacy of the act without turning into something sexual. 

By the time they exited the shower, Brian was practically asleep where he stood. Turning off the water, Justin guided Brian out of the shower and into the main part of the bathroom. Leaving him leaning against the counter, Justin grabbed a towel and began drying the older man off. 

“I feel clean now,” Brian announced as Justin disappeared into the bedroom in search of a pair of sweats for him. “No more sewer juice.” 

Justin came out a few seconds later with a pair of dark grey sweats which he set on the closed seat of the toilet after grabbing up the brace. “You definitely look better. Do you feel any better?” 

“I think I can manage to remain conscious for more than five minutes now,” Brian told him, keeping a hand on Justin’s hip to steady himself. “But some food would definitely be an added incentive. I don’t think I’ve eaten since lunch yesterday.” 

Justin arched an eyebrow at that. “Then I think we should get some food in you before your rumbling stomach starts upsetting your ribs.” 

“You’re a real comedian,” Brian mumbled, lifting his arms slightly so that Justin could slip the brace about his abdomen. 

“I learned from the best,” Justin shot back, kneeling down so that he could slip Brian’s feet into the sweat pants. 

“My God! Can’t you even wait until he’s healed!” 

Groaning audibly, Justin dropped his head against Brian’s knee. “Get a life, Mikey. I’m not giving him a blow job, I’m helping him into his sweats. I do have some self-control.” 

Michael snorted, “You’re a teenager. Teenagers aren’t exactly known for their self-control.” 

“You would know, wouldn’t you, seeing as how you still are one,” Justin shot back, wrapping an arm about Brian’s waist as he prepared to lead him from the bathroom. Their path was blocked by Michael who was standing right in front of the door. “Do you think you could move? I’m kinda trying to get Brian over to the couch.” 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Michael glared at Justin, refusing to move. 

“Oh for fuck’s sake, Mikey, move your ass,” Brian groaned, not bothering to hide his disgust. “I’d like to sit down before I lose all feeling in my legs.” 

“All the more reason that he shouldn’t have forced you out of bed in the first place,” Michael pointed out, a smug look painted on his features. 

Brian rolled his eyes, leaning against Justin the teen as he led him into the living room. “Not that it’s any of your business, Mikey, but I got up on my own. I was in desperate need of a shower. So quit acting like a pussy and tell me why you’re here.” 

“I figured that would be kinda obvious considering what happened last night,” Michael huffed as he followed the pair out into the living room. “Justin here sure wasn’t helpful when I called this morning.” 

“You called at six in the morning. I was barely conscious,” Justin pointed out as he steered Brian towards the couch then helped him sit down. 

“Well then you should have called last night like you said you would.” 

“Will you get a life, Mikey,” Brian mumbled, dropping his head onto he back of the couch. “Justin didn’t call you.... So what? Did you maybe think that we had other things on our mind? You’re not the center of everyone’s world. So now that you’ve seen that I’m alive, you can run back home and play with your little action figures.” 

“I’m gonna stay if it’s all the same to you,” Michael announced. 

Brian raised his head off the back of the couch and stared up at the other man. “You might as well just go home, Mikey. Once Justin and I get something to eat, we’re probably just gonna go back to bed.” 

“Justin’s perfectly fine,” Michael reminded him, waving a hand absently towards the kitchen where Justin was. “Why does he need to sleep?” 

“Because I need him to sleep,” Brian declared emphatically. 

Silence reigned in the loft after that startling revelation. From the kitchen, Justin kept his eyes trained on Brian’s face, attempting to determine to validity of that statement. To his surprise, Brian immediately met his eyes, not bothering to hide his emotions. 

Brian really did want Justin there when he slept. It wasn’t just an unconscious desire that had existed while he slept. Awake now, Brian still wanted Justin there. 

It wasn’t until they heard the loft’s main door slam shut that either man realized Michael had left. 

“So am I gonna get some food or were you planning on staring at me all day?” Brian demanded, the corners of his lips curling up slightly. 

Justin ducked his head down, mentally attempting to do away with the wide grin he could feel on his face. Brian had chosen him over Michael. That was something that Justin had never thought would happen. Even though he was the one living with Brian, Justin didn’t fool himself into thinking that he was more important than Michael. Michael, after all, had been his best friend since he and Brian were kids. That was something Justin knew that he would never be able to contend with. 

Then he looked at Brian’s face and knew that it wasn’t true. 

Brian wanted him there. 

Justin. 

Not Michael. 

Later that afternoon Justin was still amazed by how Brian was acting. It was so unlike him. Brian hadn’t made a single sarcastic comment about the sandwiches Justin had made. He had even sat through an art history documentary on the Renaissance that Justin had wanted to watch without complaint. He even smiled the few times that the teen corrected the narrator. 

The only real interruptions they had from the outside world were calls from Debbie, Jen and Lindsay to check on the boys and make sure that they were really all right. When talking to Brian, Lindsay had even put Gus on the phone so that they infant could blabber nonsense to his father. Brian humoured his son, but was unable to keep the broad smile from his face. 

There was no doubt in Justin’s mind that it was the pain pills that were mellowing Brian out so much. Brian wasn’t the least bit difficult like Justin would have expected him to be since he was so incapacitated. And as much as he liked this side of Brian, there was no way that Justin would repeat the previous night. 

Even more shocking was the fact that Brian’s milder attitude continued even after his ribs had healed. In three months worth of trips to Babylon, Justin didn’t see the other man disappear into the infamous back room once. 

“Let’s get outta here,” Brian murmured in Justin’s ear as they ground together in the middle of the crowded dance floor. He was clutching at the younger man’s hips, pulling him as close as possible while still being separated by their jeans. 

Justin grinned, lightly pulling on Brian’s earlobe with his teeth. “Depends on what your plans are.” 

“I was thinking that I could take you back home and get you out of those pesky jeans,” Brian informed him, nuzzling the side of the teen’s face. 

Justin pressed a kiss to the underside of Brian’s jaw. “Sounds like a plan to me.” 

Keeping a firm grip on the older man’s waist, Justin allowed Brian to lead him from the dance club. As they made their way through the swarm of bodies, Justin heard the same whispers that he had been hearing for the past three months. 

“That damn twink tamed Kinney.” 

And while it was far from the truth, there was no way Brian Kinney would ever be tamed, Justin was glad that they believed it. 

“I love you,” Brian murmured as he gathered Justin close to him as they drifted off to sleep a few hours later. 

Justin pressed a kiss to Brian’s shoulder, snuggling in closer. “I love you too.”


End file.
